A friendly trip 2

1.

The ride was slow, even though Legolas was not new to sitting on horseback. They had talked for hours, and the silence now was comfortable. Legolas was content listing to the wind blow around his ears and the sad songs of the birds. However, the dawn had his feet acing to move, and stomach clenching. He called on Aragorn, who looked back at him from where he rode a foot in front of him.

"We should make camp for the night, the sun is setting."

Aragorn nodded and looked around, searching for a place to spend the night. They were out on the plains, but a forest began just a little further up. He nodded toward it, and Legolas nodded in return. Once there they bound their horses to a branch of a thick oak tree and started unpacking their bags from the horses.

"You brought lembasbread?" Aragorn asked, and when Legolas turned to look he wore a disgusted face, which had his nose scrunched up but eyes sparkling. The elf huffed, feeling his lips twitch. "Stop crinkling your nose like a boy. Eat or starve."

The man chuckled behind him as he lit the fire onto some dry grass. Crunches were heard as Aragorn broke branches before throwing them next to the elf's feet, which he used for more fuel. After minutes of working together, the fire sparked just as the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

"It was nothing but a joke."

"I'm not sure, Estel," Legolas sat down with his back against a trunk, glancing at the fire with his chin raised high. "You're getting more honest these days."

"Is that not a good thing?"

"Not always. That tongue could get you in deep trouble one of these days, and I might not always be there to save you from it."

A grin split the man's face as he moved the bag down beside him, before putting bread on top of the logs. Picking up a stick he began poking at them and checking under them so they would not burn. Legolas watched it, eyes wide like a young boy who liked women seeing a beautiful lady for the first time in his life, and understanding what all the other boys talked about.

Aragorn seemed to thrive out here. He glowed. The glow was etched into his skin somehow, and it showed in his eyes. He radiated energy and warmth. Like warm tea on a chilly night, or ice on a hot summer day. He was all you needed at that moment, and you were content with him near you. In your grasp. Like air for a drowning man, or rope for someone falling. He was everything, and he glowed.

The city of stone pressed his shoulders down, like boulders of responsibilities and men telling him not to smile. Act like a King, they said. Legolas knew this, for Aragorn had told him under their many nights under the stars. The man had opened up about how he truly felt that night, and it had meant everything for Legolas. They had shared feelings before, but not regarding their homes, or responsibilities.

However, out here he could truly breathe the fresh air. You could see a change in the way he moved. Legolas liked that change. It reminded him of all their trips before the Ring came into their lives, and Legolas got a letter from Elrond that warm summer morning.

Legolas also enjoyed the freedom between them. Being in their position, with their titles, joking was not something they were praised for. They were told not to. Even smiling made them less royal, they were told. In the forest, only the trees judged them, and they could laugh until their stomachs hurt and their cheeks aced. His father would've never allowed it home in Mirkwood.

"I'm glad." Legolas said, watching Aragorn flip the bread. The man hummed in question. "You thrive out here, Estel. It's clear for anyone to see." He searched for the right words and therefore hesitated. Aragorn seemed to notice as he looked up then, and met his gaze with a soft smile.

"I do. I can feel it too. Being King is nothing I...ever wanted." He said in a soft voice while he turned to search for his waterskin, his head lowered. Then he must have realized what he had said, for he smiled afterward. Legolas saw the way the smile stopped at the cheeks but smiled back anyway.

"I understand." He said and looked into the fire, watching the flames. "I do. I can also feel burdened, captured even, but somehow we still do what we need to do every day. This is our reward, Estel."

Legolas had close to the trees, as they grew just outside of the gates. His Kingdom was created of roots, and he understood how lucky he was. He knew Aragorn craved the forest as much as he did on those long days, and he wish he could just gift him a part of the forest he lived in. Send it with a raven. He truly wanted to, seeing how Aragorn thrived in it.

The man nodded as he drank, and Legolas felt like he looked right through him like he was an open book. He often felt like that in Aragorn's company, but it wasn't uncomfortable. He let the man read him, as he had nothing to hide.

Then Aragorn cursed, and Legolas looked down to see that the bread was black. He had to laugh then, and Aragorn looked at him, eyebrows raised and teeth bared in a grin. "I hope you like burnt bread."

"How can I mind," Legolas said and picked one up in a leaf to look it over. ", when you made it."

Aragorn looked at him for a bit too long, before hastily looking down at the bread. Legolas noticed, but thought nothing of it. The man took a small bite then, after blowing on it several times, and Legolas did the same. While it was crispy, it did not taste bad. They ate their dry bread in silence and drank plenty of the warm water, and when they were finished the sun had fallen.

They slept under the trees for the night, the fire cracking between them, creating a blissful atmosphere of warmth and comfort. At least, as much comfort as the rough ground could offer. It was peaceful. The air was chilled, but fresh in his lungs, and the flames warmed his skin. It was a perfect night in his eyes, and the stars shone over them. He craved this more often these days filled with the same routines.